Can closure



Sept. 18 1923.

F. R. HARRIS ET AL CAN CLOSURE Original Filed Dec. 8, 1920 ATTORNEY.

FEANCIB B. RBI-IS,

CONSISTING OF LOUIS HOLLANDEE; FRANCIS R.

OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, AND LOUIS HOLLANDER. OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO MORRIS CAN CLOSURE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A FIRM HARRIS, AND SAMUEL H. MORRIS.

CAN CLOSURE.

Application filed December 8, 1920, Serial 1%. $29,128. Renewed To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANCIS R. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Columbus, county of Franklin, and State of Ohio, and Louis l-loLLANoEn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Can Closures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in closures for cans adapted to contain milk. condensed milk, syrup, and other liquid, and theobject of our invention is to produce a simple, inexpensive and efficient form of closure which can be applied to cans of the kind specified so as to make the cans more sanitary and more easily used. Our invention is also intended to produce a can and closure therefor in which the structure is such that the can can be readily filled cally admitting air so through a small opening, and in which means is provided in connection with the discharge spout or opening for automatithat the contents of the can can be readily poured. This arrangement also makes it simple and cheap to seal the can, as only the small opening needsto be sealed after the can is filled, whereas in ordinary construction the whole top must be sealed. The invention is also intended to produce a can which is much more attractive in appearance, and from which the contents can be used as desired in a sanitary and cleanly way. The invention is further intended to produce a closure in which the closing means will lie flush with the can top, or a little below it if desired, so that cans can be conveniently packed one on the other. In general our invention is intended to provide a closing and discharging means for liquid containing cans. All of which will be better understood from the description which follows.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specifi cation, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of a can showing our improvements, with the cap or cover of the clpsing spout removed, and

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the structure with the closing cap in place.

The drawing is shown by way of example to illustrate our invention, and some of the details can be departed from without affecting it. As illustrated thecan 10 can beany approved form of can, and the top, near, 'one'side, is provided with an indentation or depression 11 through which the opening for filling and discharging the can is made.

November 6, 1922. Serial No. 599,441.

A discharge spout or tube 12 .is fastened in the opening, and the inner end of the tube can be provided with a flange 13 if desired,

which overlaps the can top around the tube opening, thus making a strong connection, and the parts can be soldered or otherwise fastened together. If desired this tube or spout 12 can extend downward into the can to any extent, but (we. prefer the arrangement shown. It will be noticed that by having the depression 11 in the can top, the tube 12 can be arranged so that it will extend to a point a little below the top level of the can, so that the top surface- Will be left flush even whenthe cap 16, hereinafter referred to,.i.s

in place, and the cans can be readily packed one on the other.

An air tube 14 has one end fastened in the spout 12, and this tube is extended transversely across the can to a point near the top. The tube can be of any desired shape, and can extend to any point desired. It is better to haveit terminate near the top, as shown, and it is preferably semi-circular, or nearly so, in cross section, as this enables it to enter. the spout 12 to better advantage and be fastened there as shown in the draw ings.

it Wlll be seen that when the can is opened and the contents poured out through the spout 12, the air will at the same time enter the tube 14 so as to admit the necessary air pressure behind the contents. and the latter can be poured freely. The-spout isv closed by a cap 16 which fits over thespout and preferably extends downward so as to contact with the depressed part 11 of the can top, and the lower edge of the cap can be turned up as shown at 17 to make a nicer connection and to make the cap firmer. The cap obviously can be secured to the spout in any other well known or preferred way without affecting the invention. The form shown is believed to be advisable, however, because it makes a tight closure and can be easily sealed.

In sealing we prefer to run a wire l8 around the ower edge of the cap, and this will fit between the wall of the cap and the wall of the depression 11, and a light coatingof solder can be run in over the members 11 and 17, thus securely and hermetically sealing the can. One end of the wire 18 can be left to protrude as shown, and when it is desired to open the can. one merely' grasps this protruding end 18 of the wire 18, and pulls out the wire. breaking the solder and freeing the cap 16. This can be taken off and the contents used as desired. and. when a sntiicient amount has been withdrawn from the can, the cap can be replaced. Thus it will be seen that we provide a very attractive and cleanly structure which can be easily filled and as readily emptied. Moreover, the closure is entirely beneath the top of the can, at least no more than flush with it, and thus the can packs to good advantage. Furthermore it will be seen that byfilling the can and then sealing around the small opening, that is the spout 12, the sealing is economically accomplished, and because of the small sealing space. there is less liability of air leakage and consequent spoiling of the goods in the can.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the structure is exceedingly simple. easy to make. and efiicient in operation, and it will be understood that many of the details of construction can be departed from without affecting the invention. For instance, the cap might be fastened in other ways and sealed in a different manner, although we have shown the preferred way.

We claim 1. A can having a generally plain fiat top surface with a pourin opening therethrough. an air tube belt? wholly within the can and open at the ends, saidtube extending from a point near the top of the can into said pouring opening, acap closing the opening and lying substantially flush with the can top, a member arranged substantially at the junction of the cap and can top and provided with a protruding end, and a soldering element covering the said member and uniting the cap and can top.

2. A can having a generally plain flat top with a portion near one edge bent inward to form a depression, a spout rigid on the top and lying within the depression, said spout being open at its inner end and with its outer end flush with said fiat top, a vent tube arranged wholly within the can in the upper part thereof and entering the aforesaid spout, and a cap arranged to close the spout and vent tube, and with its top surface substantially flush with the can top. FRANCIS R. HARRIS. LOUIS HOLLANDER. Witnesses:

VVARREN B. Hnronmson', M. G. ODoNNELL. 

